ABSTRACT
National security—defined in the traditional way as conditioned by military might and military relations—was at the core of traditional diplomacy. The process of moving toward common, cooperative action reflects a necessity imposed by a changing reality. The area of global common goods is expanding, as is the area of threatening global common bads. Social science has coined the term "prisoner's dilemma" for such a situation. The term derives from a complicated and not very life-like scenario. Resources thus saved could be used to increase the wealth of the population thereby strengthening the legitimacy of the rulers. Institutions can help in that process of building and maintaining trust. They can help in exiting from the "prisoner's dilemma" into a positive-sum game of cooperation. Institutions can provide such information. Institutions can provide for a burden sharing through a cooperative regime, assuring that no member suffers disproportionally and that a burden is distributed in an equitable manner.
